LISTEN: Rents, riots and volcanoes – Ireland on the brink of the Great Hunger

The Great Hunger II: Ireland on the cusp of a disaster on the way into the mid 1800s.

Life for the Irish people becomes increasingly difficult - listen in to the Irish History Podcast’s Great Famine series, part II

This is the second episode in the Irish History Podcast’s Great Famine series. The Great Famine is the most important event in modern Irish history. It changed Ireland, and indeed, the world forever. While one million perished from starvation and disease, our ancestors also struggled to survive. From rebellion to riots, evictions to emigration the Great Famine podcast series will bring you on a fascinating and vivid journey to the world of your ancestors in Ireland of the 1840s.

The series on the Great Famine got off to a bloody start with the story of Anne Devlin and the rebellions of 1798 and 1803. By the end of the first episode, Ireland had been incorporated into the United Kingdom under the Act of Union.

In this show we will see what life in Ireland was like under direct British rule. Within a few decades strikes, riots and assassinations were becoming increasingly common. Life was getting more and more difficult. Then to make matters worse, the eruption of Mount Tambura, a volcano on the far side of the world ushered in what was called 'the year without summer'.

Listen below to hear this fascinating story as Ireland stands on the brink of the Great Famine:

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* Fin Dwyer Is a historian, author, and creator of the Irish history podcast. Over the last seven years, he has been creating free podcasts which makes Irish history accessible to new audiences. He has covered diverse topics from the Middle Ages to the modern history. He is currently focusing on the story of the Great Hunger. With over three million individuals downloads, the show is one of Ireland's most popular podcasts. You can find his podcast on iTunes.